Levi stevens



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4 L. STEVENS. PROCBQS 0F DISTILLING PETROLEUM No. 333,432. Patented Ma 24. 1337.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

LEVI STEVENS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF DISTILLING PETROLEUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.363,432, dated May 24, 1887. Application filed July 3, 1836. Serial No. 207,060. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI STEVENS, of Boshad to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, and in which one form of the apparatus used in carrying my process into operation is illustrated'by a sectional view thereof.

My invention relates to the distillation of petroleum and to the production of a mixed gas or vapor of oil and water for heating purposes, or for the manufacture of a fixed illuminating-gas, and it is based upon the following facts: Petroleum boils at 306 Fahrenheit. ure of fifteen pounds to the square inch. At 345 Fahrenheit it gives a pressure oftwentythree pounds to the square inch. At 37 5 Fahrenheit it gives a pressure of thirty-two pounds to the square inch. The temperature of an ordinary'steam-boiler at a pressure of one hundred pounds to the square inch is 327 Fahrenheit. At a pressure of one hundred and twenty pounds it is 341 Fahrenheit. At a pressure of one hundred and fifty pounds it is 358 Fahrenheit. At a pressure of two hundred pounds it is 382 Fahrenheit. Water boils at 212 Fahrenheit, and to convert one. pound of Water at a temperature of 212 Fahrenheit into steam at 212 Fahrenheit nine hundred and sixty-six units of heat are absorbed and become latent in the steam. Petroleum boils at 306 Fahrenheit, or 94 above that of water; but no heat becomes latent in the vapors of petroleum and it will be all digested or vaporized at a temperature of from 310 to 382 Fahrenheit. In converting one pound of wa ter at a temperature of 32 Fahrenheit into steam at atmospheric pressure eleven hundred and forty-seven units of heat are absorbed, of which nine hundred and sixty-six become latent in the steam. In converting one pound of petroleum into vapor at atmospheric pressure not over 375 Fahrenheit are necessary.

My invention consists in forcing petroleum At 310 Fahrenheit it gives a press.

in its crude state, or otherwise, through a body of water confined in a suitable "essel and kept heated by a furnace to "a temperature above the boiling-point, whereby the oil is vaporized, and in carrying off the resultant vapor into a condensing apparatus or to the fire-chamber of a furnace for use as fuel or into a heated retort wherein the vapor will be fixed for use as an illuminating-gas.

If a sufficient quantity of petroleum be constantlysupplied to the water, a very small percentage of steam will be produced, even with a temperature of 382 Fahrenheit,in the boiler, for the petroleum will absorb the heat developed by the action of the furnace as rapidly as developed, leaving no extra heat to be taken up by the water, so that while the liquid petroleum will be vaporized in contact with the hot water and pass off as fast as introduced the volume of water will remain comparatively unchanged. By further increasing the heat, however,and leaving the supply of petroleum unchanged, or by diminishing the supply of petroleum and simply maintaining the same heat,a proportionate increase in the vaporization of the water will ensue, and the resulting steam will pass off with the vapor of the petroleum; hence by increasing or diminish ing the supply of petroleum or the intensity of heat in the furnace the composition of the compound vapor issuing from the vessel may be readily varied at will, by reason of the change thereby efiected in the relative proportions of the steam and hydrocarbon vapor therein.

WVhile the generation of steam will be checked or prevented irrespective of an in crease in the temperature of the water so long as an adequate supply of oil is maintained, the quality of the resulting vapor will vary in ac cordance with the temperature.

By passing the compound vapor through'a condenser the distilled oil will be separated from the water; but while the quality of the equivalent thereto, by the pressure in the vessel which contains it.

The Water through which the oil is passed acts directly not only as aheating medium for the distillation of the oil, but as an absorbent of the coloring-matters therein, and also operates to precipitate therefrom all solid and extraneous matters, so that the oil becomes thoroughly purified.

In carrying my process into operation any steam-boiler, A, capable of safely resisting a steam-pressure of, say, two hundred pounds to the square inch, and fitted over any suitable furnace, B, may be used. The water-level is maintained in the boiler in the customary manner through a supply-pipe, J, from a steampump or an injector. A short coil of pipe, D, pierced with minute perforations,is fitted near to the bottom in the water-space E of the boiler, and is connected with a pump, F, by

which a supply of oil may be forced into the boiler against the pressure therein. A steampipe, G, is fitted to the top or dome of the boiler to communicate with the steam-space therein in the customary manner, and is led thence to asuitable condenser, (if it is desired to liquefy the vapor of the oil,) or to a heated retort (if it is desired to obtain a fixed gas for illuminating purposes.)

7 The pumps for supplying the boiler with oil and water are preferably driven by the vapor generated in the boiler, led thereto by suitable connecting-pipes,H. The exhaust-pipe I from each pump is in such case carried into the fire-box of the furnace B, and after the boiler is heated and the pumps are in operation the combustible vapor from said exhaust I will serve largely to supply the fuel for heating the furnace.

The Water-leg Mof the boiler is fitted with a blow-off pipe and cook, N, as shown.

My process is carried into effect by supplying the boiler with water and heating it to a steam-pressure of, say, two hundred pounds to the inch. Crude petroleum is now forced into the perforated coil D in the bottom of the boiler by means of the oil-pump F, and the oil passing out in fine jets through the apertures in the coil will as it comes into contact with thehot water absorb therefrom sufficient heat to convert it in its passage through the water into a vapor whose density will be determined by the heat of the water. The heat of the water will, with a given constant temperature in the furnace B, be determined by the quantity of oil' which is forced into the boiler in a given time. If the supply of oil be sufficient, but a small percentage of water will be converted into steam and an almost simple vapor of petroleum will pass off through the outlet or steam pipe G from the top of the boiler, and this condition is desirable where the vapor is to be condensed as refinedoil or for illuminating purposes. When used as fuel, a large percentage of steam will be desirable; hence the proportion of the oil-supply to the heat-supply requires careful adj ustment, and, in connection therewith, it becomes necessary to maintain a given temperature or pressure in the boiler to determine the quallty of the distilled oil to be obtained.

The qualtity of the entire product of the distillation of the vapor obtained by this process at a given temperature from crude 011 of any grade will be uniformly the same, the entire volume of the oil which is vaporized being brought by said process to this one standard. While this is true I have also found it to be the case that the character of the products obtained by this process change 1n accordance with the increase or decrease of pressure in the boiler and corresponding change of temperature therein.

By condensing the water containing the coloring-matter and residuum as blown off from the boiler the coloring-matters absorbed by the water maybe collected and utilized in the customary manner.

WVhile my process is primarily designed for refining petroleum, it is applicable to the refining of all oils or oleaginous compounds which admit of vaporization at high temperatures, and I contemplate such an equivalent application thereof.

I am aware that oil has been admitted under a body of water heated to a temperature not exceeding 200 Fahrenheit, and after rising through the water has been made to travel over its surface in a thin layer for the pur pose of refining and whitening the oil, the

gases and lighter vapors liberated by this process being subsequently collected and condensed, and that such a process is described in United States Letterslatent No. 268,302,

of November-28, 1882. My invention differs therefrom in that I cause the oil to pass through a body of water heated under pressure to a temperature so far above the boilingpoint that all the volatile constituents of the oil are vaporized in the process.

I claim as my invention 1. The process of vaporizing petroleum by injecting it into hot water heated above 212 Fahrenheit under pressure in a closed vessel, and conducting the vapors therefrom, substantially as described.

2. The process of vaporizing petroleum, which consists in heating water in a covered vessel to a temperature above the boiling-point, and forcing the liquid oil in fine jets into said vessel through the water contained therein, whereby the water is made to take up and hold the coloring-matters and impurities in the oil and the oil is converted. into avapor, withdrawing the vapor from the upper portion of the vessel as it is generated and replenishing the water-supply as it is exhausted, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The process of vaporizing petroleum, which consists in heating water in a steamboiler to a temperature above the boiling-point,

- forcing the liquid oil in fine jetsinto said boiler In testimony whereof I have signed my name through the water contained therein, mainto this specification in the presence of two taining the water-supply and using a portion subscribing witnesses. of the vapor drawn from above the water for LEVI STEVENS.

5 heating the boiler and maintaining the pro- Witnesses:

cess, substantially in the manner and for the STANLEY MITGHEL, purpose herein set forth. A. H. EVANS. 

